Mega Man Zero: The Beginning
by Rorhen Cast
Summary: I plan to redo this whole storyReploids rebel against a corrupt government, inlisting the aid of the ancient hero Zero in the 23ndCentury. Novelization of the first Mega Man Zero
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I do not own Mega Man® Zero or any other things related to that franchise. Though I wouldn't mind owning, I don't exactly see myself owning.

Mega Man Zero: The Beginning

By Rorhen Cast

Based on the game _Mega Man Zero_

**Introduction**

"**The Neo Arcadian Movement"**

Somewhere between the middle of the twenty-third century, the hero _X_ brought an end to the near century of fighting elapsed in the Maverick Wars. The victory over the war's initiator, Sigma and his malevolent virus was not without its casualties. The cities built by Man were destroyed and humans and Reploids alike faced death. It was time for the Reploids to help the humans. X thus created the perfect utopia for the humans and the Reploids: the city known as _Neo Arcadia_.

The city was built as a place of sanctuary for the humans to keep them away from the world of constant war-fare. Its completion came with success.

Somewhere after the completion though, X disappeared. And the world was facing a crisis. Neo Arcadia was doomed without a leader.

The first crisis was dealt with in an amicable and quiet way. The city had its best Reploid scientist create a replica of the great leader. The young scientist claimed it to be a "perfect replica" of X. With haste he took command of the city and government.

The second crisis has yet to be resolved. The energy of the world has quickly been depleted by the Reploids. Their need to stay alive has become a problem for Neo Arcadia. And it is to be dealt with in an extreme and effective manner.

The leader's motion was to be swift. The only solution for the humans was simplistic yet effective: eliminate the Reploids. Their elimination was done with extreme prejudice and soon, many began to flee the city. This moment in history became known as the Neo Arcadian Movement.

Those who fled the city though were still pursued by the government's armies. Leading the attacks was X himself, along with the four generals of Neo Arcadia, each modeled after X himself.

The first unit of the army was the Rekku army, lead by the cold-hearted shrewd green lord, _Harpuia_. A master at the usage of sabers and flight, his killing is without compassion and will take no mercy upon his enemies. Leading a more airborne assault, his unit is more likely the most mobile attack unit. The leader of the Jin' en Army is _Fefnir_, a war-loving and fierce red general, commanding the strongest of the four armies, in terms of force. The sea assault conducted by the Meikai army is lead by _Leviathan_, the sly blue lord. She is swift and fierce, commanding a lance that makes quick work of her enemies. Her power comes from the hate of the discrimination given to her by her fellow generals. She is claimed to be on equal par with even X. And the last of the four generals is the dark, cunning, and stealth commander of Zan' ei Army, _Phantom_. His devotion to X is noted to be the greatest of the four generals. And his unit is the most cunning and dangerous of the others.

The Reploid population dropped steadily within a month. Those who found peace in destroyed cities formed a rebel alliance called _The Resistance_. Soon a leader was founded for this small rebellion. A human Reploids Researcher from Neo Arcadia. Her name is Ciel.

However, the Resistance stands little chance to the government. They have suffered many losses and their ego has been shattered many a time. Their end is soon to come unless without some help.

"**Zero"**

A legend long since forgotten depicts a Reploid who fought alongside X in the Maverick Wars. It's said that he put himself into a state of hibernation in a lab hidden away in a remote jungle. Ciel remembers an old abandoned underground lab nearby where they have set up the Resistance Base. Perhaps this is the lab the legend spoke of. However some regard this legend to be frivolous. The Resistance is skeptical on rather or not to risk their own lives for this legend. Others however, would plea death just find him. The legendary Reploid known as _Zero_.

**Author's Note: Please excuse the halt in updating all of the sudden. I had become unpleased by my original draft so I decided to chunk that one in the trash and start off fresh with a new way of writing it. I would've updated sooner but with exams and stuff going on I couldn't do it. But now that that's all done I can devote myself a little more to my fic. **

**By the way I'm looking for pre-readers. If anyone would like to get a look at what could come next and find more errors than I would care to find, you can email me. But it's not like anyone's reading this. Still, doesn't hurt to ask. **


	2. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Mega Man® Zero or any other things related to that franchise. Though I wouldn't mind owning, I don't exactly see myself owning.

Mega Man Zero: The Beginning

By Rorhen Cast

Based on the game _Mega Man Zero_

"……" – vocal '……' – thought

**Prologue: Awakening a Legend**

The jungle area would serve as the battlefield for this mission. And the darkened night sky all but helped the Resistance troops in their recon mission for an underground laboratory. There was little reason to enter this place. Hardly any energy could be found here and no weapons were available for excavation. The data was miniscule in information and nothing highly valuable worth sacrificing an entire platoon for. Yet something motivated the Resistance into a recon mission to risk their lives from the Neo Arcadian oppressive.

Running at the head of the platoon consisting of a dozen or so young men was the leader of the Resistance, Ciel. The human leader ran side-by-side to her Cyber Elf companion, Passy. A handful of soldiers broke away from the platoon group to fight off the enemy of the Resistance: the Pantheons. The representation of the Neo Arcadia oppressive was closely behind in the darkness of the forest.

The cycloptic drones were mindless hunters at best. They did as they were ordered and executed with no feeling or remorse. This was essential after the Reploids began their rebellion against a far overpowering government. Without thought on what they were doing, this would allow Neo Arcadia fairly easy control over their army and would provide better results for them in battles.

The Resistance stood little a chance against the Pantheons. Their primitive weaponry was a joke to their superior, more technologically advanced, oppressors. Their sub-machine guns hardly dented the Pantheons' blue armored exterior body. But the Resistance persisted and to the drones' operations system, that was all the reason to eliminate their target. The gunarm of the drones fired off the plasma bullets to their rebel enemies. The return-fire killed the soldiers with ease. The Reploid blood drenched the forest's replicant grass and dirt. The Pantheons moved on to the rest of the evading troops.

The platoon kept running with no stop. They were coming close on the lab.

Another handful of soldiers stood their ground against the ever closer oppression. They fired blindly into the forests with no stop. Their bullets were all they could muster up against the enemy. But their enemy would soon prove greater than they thought. Each soldier stopped fire at the sound of a hum. It was getting closer and louder. Their fear was what caused them to tremble but their loyalties in the Resistance kept them where they stand. Their doom came to them not on swift feet but hovering through the trees. A monstrous structure, armored with a metal strong enough to halt even the bullets of a plasma shot. The fortress-like mechaniloid had hovered through the darkness into clear view. The Resistance looked on at the Golem, who had now finalized their fate. The upper armor covered a portion of where a normal being's mouth would be, but in such cases with this enforcer of the Neo Arcadia army, it hid the main robot's weaponry: a high class laser that would shear anything pieces. It would make quick work of the soldiers.

"What kind of monster is this?"

His last words came with no answer. The stony robot illustrated its beam holster and charged the laser. The target bee-line was already pre-determined. The laser followed its coordinates and ripped through the Reploids inner workings. The Golem continued its pursuit of the Resistance.

The Resistance was now deep in the lab. The lights had managed to work, most likely from an old power generator somewhere. The lab had most definitely seen the affects of time and erosion. Most of the computers didn't work and all the door locks had been disabled. All except for one. The giant glass door that Ciel and the others stood in front of was sealed shut and the keypad was very much dead. Ciel's optimism was dampened.

"A dead end?"

"No," said Ciel's tiny elf companion, floating beside her. "I can feel it inside. He's there, I know it."

The last of the soldiers, next to Milan, perked up from the back.

"Leave this to me. I got it already handled."

The soldier placed one plastic explosive he was carrying in the center of the glass door. It was set to go off.

"Get back!"

The door shattered open. Through the smoke, Ciel, Milan, and Passy proceeded. With no sight of the other soldiers, the recruit stood guard, blasting away with his gun. Ciel stopped and looked back with concern.

"Go, now before more Pantheons come!"

They took no hesitation and kept going.

In the center of the lab was an ancient red Reploid. It lye there, connected to wires further connected to a power respirator and generator that most likely was meant to keep the Reploid alive while in hibernation. Its arms were barely connected to its body. Wires were visible through its broken crimson armor. His long golden hair formed behind his two horned-pointed helmet lay spread out around the body. He lay inactive. Milan and Ciel looked in awe at the sight of what they had found.

"This must be…"

"…Zero…"

"We've found him at last!"

Ciel stood quiet, overwhelmed with joy. A sparkle of hope shinned in the darkness now. The war would soon be getting brighter.

Milan approached the body slowly. He was amazed and mesmerized by the Reploid they had found. It was a miracle he was still even in the condition he was in. The legend him and Ciel had researched said he had disappeared a century ago after the great hero X claimed victory in the Maverick Wars. He wanted to examine this legend for himself.

"Be careful," came a warning from Passy.

Milan still continued to trek forward. Suddenly he yelped after being shot back by an invisible force. It was soon confirmed that it was encircling and protecting the Reploid.

"A force field."

"What should I do," Milan asked in his utterance of leader ship for the moment. They needed this Reploid _alive_. Not disabled. How else would he help them win the war? What would they do...?

Their moment in victory though is shattered. The guard at the door screamed his last breath as he was gunned down by the Pantheons. They had caught up to them again. Ciel and Milan looked back to the dead soldier flying back from the force of the shots. Milan took no waste in action. He ran to guard Ciel from the Pantheons that stormed the room. They fired their shots aiming for the Resistance leader. Instead they only brought Milan to a pain and closeness to death. He grimaced in pain. Was Ciel safe though? She screamed at the connection of the drones' bullets to Milan.

"We're cornered… we've got to evacuate, now," he shouted with what voice he had left.

"But," Ciel looked back to Zero. They came all this way and lost so many to find him. Would they have to risk it all again for him? They were so close to what they needed for the war! They can't leave it now! But the oppression has them cornered and with out any problem, they would soon be executed like the rest of the platoon. What to do…

"There's no time to argue!"

Milan's breath is lived in short as the drones fired more shots for the defiant and willful one. What a pest! Rebel scum. Just like all the other ones he would die for nothing. It was a way only seen by Neo Arcadia. It was the only way.

Ciel had dropped to the floor with her friend's body. He was dead. She sobbed as the Pantheons got closer. That was all she could do. She did this; it was her fault he died. That's all she could think of. She blamed herself mostly for this loss to the Resistance. Not just Milan but surely herself with him. The hope she once had now vanished into a dark bleak future.

Passy had come to a final conclusion. She tried to reach Ciel but there was nothing. Again she tried, but all Ciel would do was cry. Eventually the tiny fairy barked the human's name. She finally had a hold of her friend.

The Pantheons were getting closer.

"You should use my power to waken Zero! You have no choice!"

"But then you'll be," Ciel said but faltered at the thought. Not another one. Not another loss. A Cyber Elf's use of ability causes it to fade away in life. Ciel couldn't have that. She didn't want it. But it may be the only way…

The Pantheons were getting closer than before. They were eagerly awaiting the demise of this human traitor of Neo Arcadia. They prepared.

"Don't worry about me. It's you that everyone back at the base is waiting for!"

Ciel had no choice. Passy was right. If she died here, the Resistance would be lost and the Reploids would be lost. It had to be the right thing. At least a shimmer of hope could last. "Okay," she said. "Thank you, Passy…"

"No. I should thank you Ciel… Goodbye…"

Ciel activated the fairy's ability. A light of power encircled the tiny being. Its energy was forming onto the elf. It charged forward into the protected field surrounding Zero. The Elf merged into energy that surrounded the red Reploid. The room was engulfed in a bright renewing light. It surged through the dead Reploid's body, reviving everything old to new. The Pantheons stood dumbfounded by what was going on. It was a drastic change in their protocol. Something new now entered the lab. Something they were unsure about. It was also something that Ciel looked on, unsure about.

The Reploid awoke for the first time in nearly a century. His sensors were numb from not being used along with his muscular system and skeletal body system, but he soon recovered from all that. Everything seemed so new to him all of the sudden. He didn't even know who he was. And the armor seemed like something he was unaware of. Again, something new. Standing there, the Reploid became active again. His vision returned. In front of him, lye a human girl. She had a look of fear, exhaustion, and wonder in her eyes. She was looking at _him_. Behind her were three blue armored drones, each with a gunarm. He saw something else in the human's eyes: a look of desperation. She soon spoke to him in a language he realized he understood.

'Zero's been resurrected…'

"Zero… Help me…"

He became aware of a Buster gun in a holster on his right leg. He looked down to it then again at the Pantheons. They raised their gunarms to the human. They would come to ignore the anomaly that just happened and stick to their mission: kill the rebel.

The Reploid then took out his Buster gun. In his hand, he looked at it peculiarly. He suddenly realized he knew how to use this. He looked again to the human and again to the Pantheons and came up with a split decision. He fired the Buster.


	3. Zero

Disclaimer: I do not own Mega Man® Zero or any other things related to that franchise. Though I wouldn't mind owning, I don't exactly see myself owning.

Mega Man Zero: The Beginning

By Rorhen Cast

Based on the game _Mega Man Zero_

"……" – vocal '……' – thought

**Zero**

The drone was disabled in a mere second, its head, shot off by the mysterious crimson Reploid. This gave the Pantheons another target. Zero didn't waste any time in defeating these drones. He withdrew his Buster and dashed towards his enemies. One swift kick dislodged the Pantheon's head from it's shoulders and wires and another kick sent the disfigured body flying. Zero turned his vision to the other Pantheon, whose gunarm was ready to fire. One of the three shots hit Zero in the shoulder. Zero found he wasn't exactly used to this kind of action all of the sudden. How he did this even amazed him, yet he seemed so well in what he did. The crimson warrior grasped his shoulder where the wound was. The drone took aim to his enemy's head. Zero dashed away, under the drone's arm and behind him. The drone suddenly fired and felt all three shots meant for the enemy go right through it. It was disabled, but not before realizing that the Reploid had grasped its gunarm when he dashed behind him, twisting it to a new target: the Pantheon's own back. It fell, landing besides Ciel, who was still in shock and contemplating all that just happened. Even so that she couldn't speak when the Reploid talked to her.

"We should go," were the first words out of Zero's mouth. His dark violet eyes were locked onto Ciel and his palm held out in help for the lady. She slowly looked to him and gained sight of this happening. He was _helping _her. She nodded her head in agreement. It was time to leave. She took his hand and jumped up. Together they ran through the dead lab, now filled with Pantheon enemies. Ciel whispered to Zero.

"We need to find a Trans Server."

A Trans Server? The word was new to Zero and it showed on his facial expression. He looked to Ciel, who only offered a quick answer. "It's what we need to return back to the Resistance Base."

Still though, Zero was confused. What was going on? Who were the Resistance? And what was that thing he killed so efficiently? Although so many thoughts clouded his mind, he still kept to his mission objective: protect the human.

Three more Pantheons were bunched together, scanning the area for the rebels. Zero took hold of his gun and fired a shot per Pantheon. All his shots reached their targeted positions: the head of the cycloptic drones. They fell easily before even a realization of what hit them. Zero and Ciel proceeded deeper in the lab.

By this time, transmission to the other drones had already been sent that a new enemy was present. They began the hunt for this new enemy, searching all places for this new threat. Ciel had insisted that Zero and her stay concealed in the shadows to avoid fighting. But alas, some fighting can never be evaded. The couple ran into a new form of Pantheons. These walked cautiously slow with electrified clubs on their right arms. They surrounded Zero, who had broken away from Ciel, hiding away behind a desk away from the action.

The first Pantheon took a swing at Zero with it weapon, only to have his arm taken by Zero. The second met a quick end to the first's weapon, being handled by Zero. The dispatch of the first was to Zero's Buster; three shots through the abdominal area of the drone. All that remained was the third. Zero was going to deal with this another way, without his gun.

Zero took gave the first blow, a punch to the head. But the drone managed a swift parry with his left arm and readied for a stab with his weapon, but Zero persevered. He ducked in time enough for the punch to go safely overhead, feeling the surge of electricity over his head. He swung a kick to the drone's leg, and it collapsed. Its last sight was the flash of crimson light above it, coming down towards its head. And then everything went black.

Ciel looked up at the sound of a crushing sound. She saw the Pantheon's head crushed while the others lay dead on the ground.

"Hurry," Zero ordered. 'We need to find that Trans Server."

Ciel nodded to this Reploid's request. She moved to a dead-end. She looked to Zero, disappointed.

"A dead-end… What should we do now?"

But there was no time for Zero to respond with words. The ground beneath Ciel began to crack. She tried to escape but there was no good in doing it. The foundation she stood on fell and she herself felt the rush of air flowing through her blond hair. And suddenly a stop. She opened her eyes with a curiosity. She was not dead? No. Instead she was in the arms of Zero. He had saved her. She felt the touch of ground and looked up. They must have dropped 100 feet or so. The top seemed so distant. The air was thick here. They must've fallen even deeper into the earth. She looked on to the entrance of a room. On the wall was written "TRANS SERVER". But Ciel was not greeted with a door but with a wreckage of boulders blocking the door. Her hopes were once again dampened with disappointment. What could they do? They only way out was right in front of them and was blocked by debris. Ciel examined the rubble but found no way to get through.

Zero suddenly heard something. A humming coming from somewhere. It was faint but somewhere. He looked above but nothing was there. It couldn't be through the walls, they were too thick for that. He suddenly came to a realization. The sewer water they stood in began to form small waves from the sound.

"Look out!"

He was too late. A monstrous arm blasted through the rubble of boulders and grabbed Ciel. Ciel was taken inside by the hand, retracting back to its origins: the beastly structure of the Golem. That was the sound Zero had heard. He dashed to the computer laboratory that it resided in with its prisoner in hands.

Ciel had shouted to Zero, "Zero! No! Run… You can't damage this thing with a Buster!"

Zero didn't listen. He just locked eyes with the Golem. Despite Ciel's warnings, he fired his Buster towards the head. Nothing happened to the Golem. Zero watched as the upper half of his body armor lowered, revealing its laser. It fired, trying to hit Zero. The red Reploid leaped to the head of the Golem and began to furiously kick and punch at it but to no avail. The Golem was just too heavily armored. He landed to the ground.

"Dammit…" His attempts at attack were pointless. He could only wound himself by physical combat to the beast.

The computers were relatively dead, however one kicked on. Zero and the Golem itself both noticed this. Ciel also looked on. A strange symbol appeared on the screen. It resembled a Cyber Elf almost, Ciel thought. It was a bright blue and was the only thing on the screen. Suddenly the speakers spoke in a voice almost too familiar to Ciel but she was in too much of a shock to put a face behind the voice. Something just too familiar to her…

"Zero… Use this…"

"…this" was ejected from the computer. Zero saw it and caught it in his hand. He looked at this small, silver shaft in his hand, something that was very familiar to him.

"Hurry… You have little time… Save her… You have to…"

Zero initially ignored what just happened and took the shaft in both hands. Suddenly, an emerald light formed in the shape of a broadsword. Zero took use to his new weapon and leapt to the Golem who was already preparing another laser shot to the crimson enemy. But the laser never happened. Its systems shattered after the initial stab to the head. Zero forced the blade in deeper through the head, ripping through cords and structures in the beast. It dropped the girl to the ground. Zero then forced the saber through the Golem further down. He was slicing it in half, feeling the structure, wires, and metals being sheared. A light began to emit from the Golem. Electricity began to surge through the body of it. Zero retracted the saber light to nothing and leapt down to cover Ciel from the explosion.

She felt his body shielding her from the intense heat of the explosion. His armor wasn't even damaged from it.

Ciel finally came to her senses. She was safe. She stood and looked to Zero. She was in total surprise that the Golem was completely disintegrated. She looked to Zero who returned the look.

"I can't believe that you managed to destroy a Golem."

He looked at her quizzically.

"We were right about you… You _are_ Zero, the legendary Reploid…"

He gave her another quizzical look at the mention of the name "Zero".

'Is that my name?'

"Don't you remember your name?"

'Zero…'

The thought hurt his head. A million questions came surging in at once. Who was he? Where was he? What time period is this? Was Sigma still present? Where was X? Why did he know what he knew? Who even was X? Who was Sigma? What were these things he knew…? He grimaced in pain from the rush of it all. He touched his forehead area around his helmet and main energen crystal in thought and pain trying to find these answers within himself. But nothing came.

"…I can't remember…"

"Try and Relax. You're experiencing hibernation sickness."

She saw him look back up at her and all around the computer lab.

"I'm sorry for having to wake you up so suddenly. And thank you for saving me."

He drove his attention to her.

"My name's Ciel. I'm a scientist. We should return to the base before more enemies arrive."

"You call me Zero and you claim that I am a legendary warrior but what if I am not the one you're looking for?"

"You must be Zero. No one else could destroy the Golem like you did. I'm positive of it."

The Reploid said nothing to her. He just starred into her calm blue eyes while she returned the look into his fierce violet eyes which sheltered a calming feeling of safeness and hope to her. He was Zero and Ciel was sure of it.

"We should go. The Trans Server should be in here. Hopefully it's still intact…"

She proceeded past the room door while Zero stood behind in thought.

'She thinks that I am this Zero. Am I?'

Suddenly memories of war came to him all at once. He shook it off.

'Perhaps this girl can provide me with the clues that I need… to regain my memory…'

He walked into the Trans Server room and saw Ciel. She was operating this round structure, fit to hold a couple people.

"We're in luck. It works."

She noticed his puzzled look at this thing. He examined it carefully.

"This is a Trans Server. It detects the Server of any other operational Trans Server and can instantly transfer anything to that area. We keep an encrypted message to keep our base safe from assault."

"What do you mean? You mean you're being hunted down?"

"Yes… Perhaps it is best that we return to the Resistance Base first. I can better explain there."

She walked up to the middle of the Transfer. Zero joined her as well and saw the outer rim of the ring scanning the two and suddenly he felt his body being assimilated into tiny pieces and suddenly being replaced. When he came too, he was in a new place. A lighter place. Some old city building. He stepped off the transfer and was soon joined by Ciel. He saw a green suited soldier Reploid troop of some sort join her by her side. He was followed by many.

"Miss Ciel! Congratulations on your safe return!"

This and many other questions of joy and praise followed from the young men, children, and woman around Ciel. Zero stood away from it all, lost in confusion.

Soon the troops began to notice the crimson, blond haired Reploid behind Ciel. Soon, all began to stare in wonder at him.

'Is this…?'

"Everyone," Ciel began. "This is Zero."

They suddenly changed their look to surprise, astonishment, and amaze. Ciel had found him.

"And Zero… We're the Resistance…"

**Author's Note: Well, that's it for this chapter. Zero will learn a bit more on what's going on and who it is that is hunting the Resistance down, while Ciel asks of Zero to take on a rescue mission. That's what I plan for the next chapter. **

**Anyways, I'm open for pre-readers. Anyone? Just email me. I'm pretty sure there's some grammatical error in this fic that I could care less than to find that someone else has found. Plus of course you _do_ get an inside look at the chapter. But anyways, I'll stop bribing you folks with offers you could very well refuse. **

**Well I hope some of you are pleased with the fic. Give me feedback please. I enjoy it and it keeps me motivated to write more than anything. But it's not like anyone is reading this fic… oh well onto to the next chapter! **


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